Overweight at Disneyland

I am planning my first trip to Disneyland and am a little bit worried about fitting onto some of the rides. I am 5'8" and about 400 pounds. Any advice on what will be fine, what to avoid, etc would be much appreciated.

Re: Overweight at Disneyland

I believe two that may be an issue in Disneyland proper are the Matterhorn (heard the new bobsleds are cramped quarters for many of even just taller proportions) and Space Mountain (lap bar space is fairly narrow).

Re: Overweight at Disneyland

Originally Posted by RegionsBeyond

I believe two that may be an issue in Disneyland proper are the Matterhorn (heard the new bobsleds are cramped quarters for many of even just taller proportions) and Space Mountain (lap bar space is fairly narrow).

Thank you! Sorta disappointed about Space Mountain but I'll still have fun

Re: Overweight at Disneyland

Space Mountain, yeah. I had a friend recently who went and tried to sit in the cars. He ended up not being able to and was embarrassed by the whole incident. He had even been losing weight for a few months specifically so he could enjoy the rides. I suppose, on the bright side, he's even more determined to be able to fit in the Space Mountain cars, so he's getting very serious about his weight and health now.

Peter Pan: "You know, your hair is on fire."
Me: "Yes. It happened after a recent trip to Neverland."
Peter Pan: "Well, you can dunk your head in the pond behind us, if you want."
Lost Child ofNeverlandsince 1996.~Favorite Hero: Peter Pan. Favorite Villian:Malificent.Favorite Ride: The Haunted Mansion.~

Re: Overweight at Disneyland

Re: Overweight at Disneyland

From a personal experience, be careful on Splash Mountain. The weight will pull the log down the drop like a rocket and absolutely soak everyone. I had this happen last fall when they put me in a log with 4 very large men. I swear we must have had about 1300lbs total in that log. If you're not looking to get wet from head to toe I would skip it. Either that or put the important stuff in a bag and be ready to walk around soaked all day.

Other rides you will most likely have issues with due to lapbar/seatbelt restraints and just overall narrow ride vehicles:

Re: Overweight at Disneyland

One Piece of advice I would like to offer is, when the ride is a safety belt you snap in place, I like to stand up and pull it all the way out while I am buckling it. Then I sit down and let the slack ease back in.

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.”
― A.A. Milne

Re: Overweight at Disneyland

Soarin' and Star Tours might be okay. The seat belts are very long. Just be sure you pull the belt all the way out before you sit down. Ask the CM if you an sit on the end of the row so you're not squished between two people. Don't be embarrassed to ask the CM for the best way to ride. That is what they are there for and they've seen it all before.

Oh and Indy, too. Their seat belts are long as well. And sit on an end.

Re: Overweight at Disneyland

Another thing is that some of the rides in Fantasyland, such as Peter Pan and Mr Toad's Wild Ride, have very narrow queues. Some of the rides also have turnstiles that are very narrow. You might be better trying to see if it's possible to go in through the exit (talk to a CM or go to City Hall) to access the ride.

In Fantasyland, a few of the rides, - Dumbo, Mad Tea Party and Mr. Toad, have copies of the ride vehicles in the vicinity (Dumbo's is up by the Casey Jr. Train and Mad Tea Party's is by the hat shop). You can always test those out to see if it's comfortable for you.

Re: Overweight at Disneyland

For both the Nemo submarines and the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through - which both have narrow staircases (and in the case of the subs narrow seating), there are alternative experiences. If you're in Fantasyland, you will find a little room to the left side of the Castle gate that has the entire Sleeping Beauty walk-through. At Nemo, just tell the CM at the entrance that you need the alternative experience and they will send you to the right place.

Some things you might find that are really accessible (no lap bars and larger ride vehicles/seats):

Re: Overweight at Disneyland

This is just my personal experience and I don't know if it would apply to your situation, but my brother has gained a lot of weight in recent years and we had a family reunion at Disneyland where he could not participate in a lot of things. It's a touchy subject, but I think my brother is now about 330lbs. He is close to 6 foot tall. The rides I remember him not being able to go on were:

* Space Mountain
* Matterhorn
* Big Thunder Mountain

Those ones felt obvious because they are coasters and the seating is tight, but the rides we were surprised he could not ride were:

* Jungle Cruise (he could not get down into the boat or out of the boat from the dock)
* Storybook Canal Boats (once again, he could not get down into the boat or out of the boat)
* The Nemo Subs in Tomorrowland (he could not fit into the area to get into the subs)
* Roger Rabbit Cartoon Spin (he was too big for the Benny the Cab vehicle)

No one at Disney made him feel bad at all though. There were still lots of things he could do in the parks and he enjoyed himself. He and our mom (who is 80 this year!) would wait for our group to get off the rides. While he was waiting he people watched and enjoyed snacks or listened to the music playing. He had a nice time.